Improved safety requirements for operation of saws, including masonry saws, require that the saw blade be guarded as much as possible and particularly when the saw is not cutting a work piece. Heretofore there have been floating-type bottom saw guards that would engage the work piece and rise above it as the saw is moved over the work piece. This kind of a saw guard interfers with the sawing operation and thus an automatically retractable bottom saw guard is desired that does not require contact with the work piece to effect raising and lowering of the saw guard. Further, the motor on saws in commonly damaged by dust from the saw blade being drawn into the motor with cooling air. It is desired that not only fresh air be allowed to enter the motor but that the air exhausted from the motor be utilized in blowing sawdust away from the inlet air openings of the motor.